Democracy returned to Nigeria in 1999. Since then, former governors across the country have marched steadily into the Senate.
They view the upper chamber as a comfortable exit from power. It keeps them relevant, wealthy, and close to influence.
But Lagos tells a different story entirely. No civilian governor from the state has ever made that leap to the Senate.
The pattern elsewhere is unmistakable. Former governors treat Senate seats like natural career progression.
Danjuma Goje of Gombe State proved the template works. After two gubernatorial terms, he won election to represent Gombe Central in 2011.
He's still there twelve years later. Multiple election cycles, shifting alliances—none of it dislodged him from the Red Chamber.
Ogun State is playing out the same drama right now. Governor Dapo Abiodun and his predecessor Gbenga Daniel have locked horns over the APC ticket for 2027.
Daniel already sits in the Senate representing Ogun East. He wants to stay there.
But Abiodun won't have it. The governor intends to claim that seat for himself before leaving office.
It's a power struggle rooted in political culture. Across Nigeria, the Senate has become a soft landing zone for governors exiting office.
BusinessDay analysis found the trend in roughly 33 states. Former governors either contested for Senate positions, secured party nominations, or publicly positioned themselves for the chamber.
Many succeeded. Others hit roadblocks—internal party fights, electoral losses, shifting alliances.
The list of success stories is long. Bukola Saraki moved from Kwara's Government House to the Senate.
So did Godswill Akpabio from Akwa Ibom. Orji Uzor Kalu did it in Abia.
Adams Oshiomhole went that route in Edo State. Ibikunle Amosun and Gbenga Daniel both found their way from Ogun to the chamber.
Rochas Okorocha secured a Senate seat after leaving Imo. Aliyu Wamakko transitioned from Sokoto to the Red Chamber.
Tanko Al-Makura followed the same path in Nasarawa. Even failed attempts show how common this practice is.
Theodore Orji lost in Abia. His successor Okezie Ikpeazu tried a senatorial run in 2023 but lost to Enyinnaya Abaribe.
In Delta, former governor Ifeanyi Okowa recently claimed the APC ticket for Delta North. He defeated businessman Ned Nwoko in the process.
Kano's Ibrahim Shekarau moved to the Senate after his governorship ended. Abdullahi Ganduje reportedly considered a senatorial bid before becoming APC national chairman.
Region and party affiliation don't matter. The pattern holds across the country.
Some outgoing governors essentially pick themselves for Senate seats. In other states, fierce battles erupt between sitting governors, predecessors, and party loyalists fighting for control of the ticket.
Lagos remains the glaring exception to this national trend. Its governors have never followed the well-worn path to Abuja.